Did variation listings just change again? Not allowing card number now? Anyone know a workaround?

[aewalkitout]

Did sports card variation listings just change again? I'm not allowed to use "card number" as an attribute as of this morning. This seriously makes no sense!

The variation of sports cards IS based on number often. Anybody know a workaround besides re-entering ALL the cards again, which I had to do 2 months ago. Is there a way to contact Ebay to complain that would be productive in any way!? (@coffeebean832 any thoughts?)

[bighorncards]

Yes, this happened for me as well. Two months ago around May 20th, 2021 all my listings with variations using "Card Attribute" would no longer allow me to edit. I had to redo everything, which was weeks of work. I changed all the listings with variations from "Card Attribute" to eBay's suggested variation name of "Card Number". Now again this morning I can no longer edit the listings to update inventory! This is frustrating and extremely worrisome! I hope this is just a glitch. If not, how can I trust using variations moving forward at all if I can not update inventory and edit the listings?

[aewalkitout]

Completely agree, thanks for your response. Yeah, I had to update and do tons of work 2 months ago as well. I'm also hoping it is a glitch with all the changes they are doing! It doesn't make any sense! Also, why can't you select all your items and change the variation as a group? That would be an acceptable workaround!

[coffeebean832]

This is not OK at all!

brian@ebay tyler@ebay- While I know the typical channel for these issues is to e-mail sdsupport@ebay, this situation is a little different so we could use your assistance to escalate this and see if you can get some answers for all the sports card sellers.

On May 11th eBay altered item specifics for sports cards which included changing some of the master records affecting variation listings. See history here- https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Variation-Listings-for-Sports-Cards/m-p/31883229#M1752056

After spending weeks updating their variation listings from previously used attributes to the one that was recommended by eBay- Card Number- eBay has suddenly 2 months later changed the master records again? eBay turned Card Number into a recommended item specific and the change in the master record prevents it being used as a variation attribute. Sellers just spent 2 months updating thousands of variation listings and essentially re-doing all the work on them- an incredibly labor intensive process- and now eBay is going to make them do that again?! Please tell us this is an error in the item specifics updates.

At this point there are no recommended variation attributes in the sports cards category. I can create manual entries that are variants of required/recommended IS (like 'Player Name' and 'Card #')- but that's pretty much it. Card Number is fine to keep as a recommended IS, but the team needs to correct the master record so it's also an acceptable variation attribute.

[bighorncards]

I agree. If the name of the variation is no longer valid (for whatever reason) then we should have the opportunity to change it to whatever is currently acceptable, rather than redoing everything. Not to mention 2 months ago as I stated I used what was suggested, which is "Card Number".  How is this an issue all of a sudden when 2 months ago that was the suggested name to use for listing sports cards, which have the player name and the number of the card. 

[coffeebean832]

@aewalkitout- Even though I've asked the eBay Community team for help, I still encourage every single sports card seller reading this to contact sdsupport@ebay.com regarding the issue. Copy/paste from my above post or the linked discussion- I don't care- just make sure all of you make your voices heard.

This is ridiculous and could happen to any seller on here in any other category. It's one thing to be forced into overhauling variation listings with IS changes are made each year- we all have to do that and it stinks. I've had to do it on hundreds of variation listings the past few years. But it's a whole other thing to be told you're expected to overhaul the same listings just 2 months later.

[salvadord]

This is absolutely incredible.  Last night I was updating my "CARD ATTRIBUTES" to "CARD NUMBER' and as of today "CARD NUMBER" is not a valid attribute.  The sad thing about all this is that the Help Forums are full of sellers complaining about these changes but unfortunately, they are all on different threads instead of one thread where eBay would see how much chaos these changes are creating sellers.  However, it is my impression that they do not really care what SELLERS think - it is "**bleep** the torpedoes - full speed ahead".  The eBay support phone lines and emails have been inundated with sellers complaining but it is obvious they have no intentions of listening to us.  It appears that the only option now is to manually change every single listing by hand - but don't forget one required piece of info or you will not be able to save any revisions.  And - when you change CARD ATTRIBUTE as they are insisting - you lose "out-of-stock" listings and you lose amounts and prices for "in-stock" listings when you convert to CARD NUMBER.  All has to be reinput by hand.  Boggles my mind how they can simply turn their backs to all the pleas for help or assistance from sellers.

[bighorncards]

Thank you @coffeebean832  for your help. 

I contacted support per your suggestion with the link to this thread and a copy/paste of your post. I'm managing inventory and making edits in my variation listings constantly, plus making several new ones each week. Having to redo them all from scratch even once a year would take an insane amount of time! This would entail having to re-enter each card again (about 100 variations per listing), upload the photos again, and possibly research the current going rates for each card again as well. If I had to do all that again or even once per year for every single listing I would either change platforms or stop selling altogether and just go back to collecting as if it were 1980.

Thanks again for your help. 

[coffeebean832]

I hope eBay can/will correct the master record on the Card Number attribute. I saw eBay reverse a change like this once for the lego minifig category.

Solution-

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Sometimes-they-DO-change-things/td-p/30221811

Original discussion with lots of valuable info-

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Variation-listings-what-the-hey/td-p/30177623

[bighorncards]

The crazy thing is "Card Attributes" works again as a variation attribute! This makes no sense. 

[gracieallen01]

It sort of sounds like the IS team is working like a committee - with half in 'Confrence Room 1' in California and the other half in 'Conference Room 4' in New York, with the comm lines are out.  ebay really needs to get better people for design and programming - it's bad enough that a 'cutting edge tech company' 'partner's' it out.

(personal opinion - your mileage may vary)

[salvadord]

And - those people in those conference rooms you refer to have probably never ever sold one thing on eBay or ever created a LISTING in their lives.

[bighorncards]

Received the below email response:

Hello,

Thank you for contacting the eBay Structured Data Support Team with your inquiry.

We would like to let you know that your case was escalated to Second Tier Support. We will update you on the status as soon as there is any development.

In the meantime, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely,

Marin Mirchev
eBay Structured Data Support Team
Email: SDSupport@eBay.com

[valueaddedresource]

I'm also going to tag @Anonymous  here - in this post from May he confirmed "card attributes" had been designated a reserved IS so it would not be able to be used for variations going forward.

Maybe he can shed some light on why there has been a reversal now causing all this extra work for sellers?

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Seller-Tools/Problem-trying-to-figure-out-Card-Attributes-is-not-allowed-as-a/m-p/31929657/highlight/true#M33748 

Also @aewalkitout  - check that thread for info about a tool @shipscript created to help at that time.  I haven't had a chance to look at it to see if it will help you with this new change to IS, but hopefully it might!

[shipscript]

@valueaddedresource 

I've started a new thread here to help sellers over this new hurdle:

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Seller-Tools/Sports-Trading-cards-revision-deadline-post-here-if-you-a...